Who Is the Richest Rapper In the World? 2021 Estimates Put Jay-Z & Ye at the Top

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Photo Credit: Brian Lundquist

Curious who is the richest rapper in the world? Take a peek at hip-hop’s highest-paid acts for 2021. 

Both Jay-Z and Kanye West top the list of richest rappers in the world for 2021. But music was just a small slice of the pie when it comes to tallying these two artists’ fortunes. Jay-Z made a cool combined $470 million from selling Tidal and his luxury Armand de Brignac champagne. Meanwhile, Kanye West pulled in an estimated $250 million from his Yeezy footwear empire. 

According to MRC Data, hip-hop now accounts for 27.7% of music consumption. That’s more than any other genre and roughly equal to rock and country. The richest rappers in the world also obtain their financial success through trendsetting and fashion making. 

An ex-Forbes editor put together a list of the richest rappers in the world for 2021. That insight measures the pre-tax income for the calendar year of 2021 before fees for agents, managers, lawyers, and other living expenses.

The Richest Rappers in the World – 2021 Edition

1. Jay-Z ($470 million)
2. Kanye West ($250 million)
3. Diddy ($75 million)
4. Drake ($50 million)
5. Wiz Khalifa ($45 million)
6. Travis Scott ($38 million)
7. DJ Khaled ($35 million)
8. Eminem ($28 million)
9. J. Cole ($27 million)
10. Birdman ($25 million, tie)
11. Doja Cat ($25 million, tie)
12. Tech N9ne ($25 million, tie)

Doja Cat is the only female act to appear on the top 10 richest rappers list. Her net worth is thriving thanks to landing sponsorship deals with Pepsi and CandyCrush. Her latest album, Planet Her, sold 1.4 album-equivalent units in the U.S. – 6th most of any artists in any genre. In 2021 alone, the album has amassed nearly 2 billion audio spins. 

Meanwhile, Eminem hasn’t dropped a new release in more than two years. The boost from the Super Bowl Half Time show this year may help Em climb even higher this year, as he’s only at #8 for richest rapper in the world 2021 edition. Eminem continually ranks among the five most-listened hip-hop artists, despite the lack of new music over the last two years. 

Both Jay-Z and Kanye West have massive luxury clothes lines and other trendsetting luxury brands to thank for their continued topping of the richest rappers list. Doja Cat is the first female to crack the list thanks to savvy partnerships this year, combined with a massive album release in 2021.